Citrus Chex Mix

I made this last summer and took it with us on our California vacation.  My little cousins went nuts over this and almost ruined their dinner appetites! It is such a fun, refreshing change from the chocolate peanut butter mix that is also a favorite.  With spring just around the corner, I thought this was the perfect time to share since this has such bright, citrus flavors!  If you can't find the dried orange peel you could probably substitute fresh peel.  I have another box of Chex in my pantry just waiting for me to make a new batch!

Citrus Chex Mix

adapted from Eat at Home

12.8 oz box Rice Chex

12 oz. bag white baking chips

5 tsp. dried orange peel
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. lemon juice
5 Tbsp. butter
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Pour the cereal into a very large bowl. In a separate, microwave safe bowl combine white baking chips, orange peel, lime and lemon juices and butter. Microwave uncovered for 1 minutes. Stir, then microwave for 30 seconds more. Stir until smooth and melted. Pour over the cereal and stir to coat the pieces. Add the powdered sugar and stir until each piece is coated in powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Cake

As a teenager, I always loved to cook and make new things for my family.  One of my signature items was a Chocolate Eclair Cake.  I have no idea where I got the recipe, but I made it so man times that I had the ingredients and directions memorized!  I remember that in my cooking class in high school, I chose to make it for my live demonstration presentation because I was so proud that I didn't need to look at the recipe (I was just like a Food Network star!).  Somehow over the years, I had sort of forgotten about this recipe, even though it is so easy, so delicious and perfect for summertime in Arizona!  So when I saw this version with a peanut butter filling pop up on Plain Chicken, I knew that I needed to try it immediately!  Other than the twist with the peanut butter filling, the other change from my original recipe was using just a jar of chocolate frosting as the the topping.  While I was impressed at how easy that made putting this together, it was just too sweet for my tastes.  I think I prefer making the topping from scratch like in my original recipe using bittersweet chocolate and powdered sugar.  Either way, a cool, creamy chocolate peanut butter dessert is always a win in my book!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eclair Cake

adapted from Plain Chicken

1 box chocolate graham crackers (there will be a few graham crackers left over)

2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes vanilla instant pudding

1 c. peanut butter
3 1/2 c. milk
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 can chocolate frosting


Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with whole graham crackers. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk and peanut butter; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers.


Heat the container of prepared frosting, uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute. Pour over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.

Breakfast Burrito Casserole

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

You must be thinking, it's not Christmas yet?!?! Well in my world, the most wonderful time of the year begins with football season!

Oh how I love game days, whether it be attending the game, tailgating, watching at a bar or watching with friends, football just make me happy!  The other day, the Cardinals game was starting at 10 am, so we decided we should make brunch and watch football, which made for an excellent Sunday!

Those of you that know me, know that I am NOT a morning person!  I love, love to sleep in; so the thought of getting up early to make something before I went to my friend's house for the game was not appealing, so I decided I needed to find something that I could prepare the night before and just pop in the oven the next morning.  I had quite a few recipes saved in my google reader that fit these requirements, but for one reason or another they just weren't right, then I stumbled upon this one from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures, and I knew it would be the one!

It was simple, didn't involve a lot of ingredients and was Mexican themed, which is always a bonus in my world.  This was really easy to put together, and you could substitute the sausage for bacon or ham, or even try it vegetarian style with black beans!  I baked this up in the morning and served it with salsa and avocado slices, to our crew, and everyone raved about it!  It was soooooo goood!  Touchdown!!! (Sorry, couldn't resist)  We ate the whole dish and I was already thinking about when I could make it again, which just might be this weekend.

Breakfast Burrito Casserole

adapted from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

1 16 oz. pkg. pork sausage, cooked (I used light)

10 - 12 small tortillas (I used corn, but you can also use flour tortillas)
2 c. shredded cheddar, pepper jack, or colby jack cheese, divided
2 c. half and half (you can use milk, but half and half is better)
6 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
For serving: salsa, avocado slices, sour cream

In a large bowl combine meat and 1 1/2 cups of cheese.  Put about 3 tablespoons of filling in each tortilla, and fold in half (you may need to warm the tortillas in the microwave first).  Place filled tortillas on their sides, overlapping slightly, into a 9×13 pan.

In a bowl combine eggs, half and half, and salt. Mix together well and pour over filled tortillas.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, remove them from the fridge and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more.

Serve with salsa, avocado and/or sour cream and enjoy!

Phyllo Brie Tarts

I have a confession to make; sometimes (okay, more times than not) when I go to the grocery store and I see something interesting or on sale I will buy it, even if I have no idea what I am going to do with it.  I try to talk myself out of it, but I just can't pass up a good deal or a new find, so into the cart it goes.  These little tarts are the result of one of those purchases, and I am happy to report they were delicious! 

While cruising the aisles at Fry's one night I spotted an aisle display of these little babies.

I was surprised to see them in the middle of an aisle because normally they are kept in the frozen section, so I was intrigued, I was even more intrigued that they were on sale for just $1.00 per box!  With the holiday season coming up (yes, this is another recipe I made before Thanksgiving) I figured there would be some party coming up that would require me to bring an appetizer, so I threw 2 boxes in my basket.  Sure enough, just a few days later I was invited to my friend Jenny's "Modern Family Thanksgiving Dinner" so I quickly volunteered to bring an appetizer!  I googled around the web a bit and I came up with the idea for these tarts...and let me just say...they have a lot going for them:

1. They are EASY!

2. They look very IMPRESSIVE!

3. They taste DELICIOUS!

One of the nice things about these is you can change up the flavor of jam based on your preference or what you have on hand (blueberry for me, another one of those impulse buys!) and the second bonus is that they taste delicious hot out of the oven or at room temperature, so they are the perfect party food!  Plus, who doesn't like mini sized food...it lets us eat more right?

Phyllo Brie Tarts

from Jenn

1 pkg. Athens Mini Fillo (Phyllo) Shells

1/2 c. or so jam or preserves of your choice

Brie cheese, rind removed, cut into 1 inch cubes (You will need as many cubes as you have shells)

Pecan halves (Once again, one nut per shell)

Preheat oven as directed on package of shells.  Place shells on a baking sheet and spoon a teaspoon of preserves into the bottom of the shell.  Top with a cube of cheese, then press a pecan halve on top.

Bake about 5 - 10 minutes, just until the brie has started to melt and the phyllo starts to brown.  Enjoy!

Italian Spinach Dip

Like many people, I grew up eating the cold spinach dip served in a hollowed out bread bowl.  I always ate it, but I never loved it.  I think part of it was due to the water chestnuts...yuck...I just don't get them.  I know they don't really taste like anything, but they are crunchy nuisance in my book!  I also didn't particularly care for the seasoning of the dip either, it came from a vegetable dip mix made by Knorr and there was just something to it that turned me off after so many bites.  When I saw this recipe and noticed the absence of  the standard vegetable dip mix I knew I had to give it a try, it still had those pesky water chestnuts, but I omitted them and just added more red peppers....and it was great!  It still had some tang from the Italian dressing seasoning mix, and the addition of the roasted red peppers covered nicely for those weird water chestnuts!  I brought this to a party (way back in November...slacker...yes me) and everyone loved it.  It paired really well with the buttery Ritz crackers, but I am sure it would be just as good in a hollowed out bread bowl.  This is my new "go to" cold spinach dip...give it a try!  Another bonus is with its green and red colors it is very festive for the holidays.

Sorry for the delay in sharing and the crappy picture, I didn't have my camera with me so I took it with my new phone, and I just couldn't figure out how to get the picture to my e-mail....technology and I are not always on good terms :)-

Italian Spinach Dip

adapted from Kraft 

1 c. light mayo
1 c. light sour cream 1 env. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1/2 c. chopped roasted red peppers (or more!)
Ritz crackers or bread slices for serving

Mix mayo and sour cream with the Italian dressing mix until well combined.  Add spinach and red peppers and stir; chill until serving.  Serve with Ritz crackers or bread.

Bacon Pierogi Bake

I actually have this baking in the oven right now, but the picture below is from I made it for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  This is a yummy, comforting casserole that came from Cooking Light of all places!  I am not sure how I missed it when I got my issue, but all of a sudden it started popping up all over the other blogs that I read, so I knew that I had to try it!  When I found my copy of the magazine, I realized why I may have skipped over it, the picture just didn't look that good, I guess we really do eat with our eyes!  The pictures on the other blogs were so bright and colorful, but the magazine made it look burned, boring and dry!  I think the dryness is maybe what threw me when I first looked at it, so when I made it I decided to double the sauce, making it extra saucy and extra good (but definitely not extra Light, ha!). The version I posted below is the double sauce version, but you can cut it back if you must!

This was really easy to throw together, and I had all the dishes done while it baked for just 20 minutes in my toaster oven.  I used the mini pierogis when I made it, although the original calls for the regular size, but I think I would stick with the mini, they are more fun!  This is creamy, salty, and fresh tasting all rolled into one!  I think it could easily be adapted for vegetarians by omitting the bacon and just cooking the garlic in a bit of olive oil or you could cook the bacon separate and just put it on individual portions!  Whatever you do, you must make this!  It is starting to get warm here in AZ, but with the fresh tomatoes on top, I can still consider it a Spring dish!

Bacon Piergoi Bake

Adapted from Cooking Light - December 2010

1 (16-ounce) package frozen potato and cheese pierogies (such as Mrs. T's) - I like the mini's
Cooking spray
4 center-cut bacon slices, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 c (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 c. fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 c (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c thinly diagonally sliced green onions
1/4 c chopped seeded plum tomato
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange the pierogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside.

Add garlic to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over pierogies. Top evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.

Lobster Bisque

For as long as I can remember, my family has eaten Stouffer's lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner.  My mom started doing this because she could put it in the oven before we left for church, and when we got home it was ready and we could eat right away.  Well this year, after our "rogue" Thanksgiving, where we made brisket instead of turkey, we decided to shake things up at Christmas as well.  My whole family loves Lobster Bisque, and when we see it on a restaurant menu, we almost always get a bowl to share.  So when we were brainstorming what we wanted to make for that dinner, as soon as I suggested Lobster Bisque, the family was sold!  Since the bisque is so rich, we decided to have salad and lavosh with it, and it made for a meal that felt special for the holidays!

This was my first attempt to make a soup like this, and I have to say it was really quite easy.  My dad helped me to grill the lobster earlier in the afternoon, then we chopped it up and let it soak in the sherry while we were at church.  We also pre-diced all of the vegetables.  When we got home, it only took about 20 minutes for us to have some piping hot bisque on the table....almost as easy as the frozen lasagna!   This soup was really good, the whole family loved it, and it was almost even better the next day when reheated and thinned out with some milk.  The only thing that we will change the next time we make it, is reducing the amount of dry sherry, the sherry was a bit strong for our tastes, so next time I would reduce it in half so it doesn't overwhelm the other flavors. 

This isn't an every week kind of soup, mainly because some of the ingredients can be pricey, but it is perfect for a special occasion...so give it a try!

Lobster Bisque

adapted from The Reluctant Gourmet

1 - 2 c. cooked lobster meat (I grilled 2 lobster tails, but Trader Joe's has frozen pre-cooked langostino lobster that would work also
1/2 c. dry sherry (I would either reduce in half, or just not add all back into the soup)

3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2  c. onion, diced
1/4 c. celery, diced
1/4 c, carrot, diced
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 c. whole milk
1 c. half and half
1 c. seafood stock (This is usually in the frozen section, but you can substitute chicken stock if you can't find it)


Combine the lobster meat with the sherry. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

In a hot pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once it stops sputtering, add the onion, celery, carrot, salt and pepper and Old Bay. Stir and let cook until the vegetables are translucent and are getting soft.

Add the tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the flour and cook for two to three minutes, stirring all the time.

While whisking, add the cold milk, half and half and stock and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, still whisking constantly. Turn the heat down and let simmer until slightly reduced.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.

Taste, and add more salt, pepper or Old Bay, if you think it needs it. Add the reserved lobster and sherry to the pot and simmer for just a couple of minutes, so the lobster is heated through.

Serve with crusty bread and maybe a little sour cream on the top. If you want to be really fancy, sprinkle on a little chopped tarragon as garnish.  Yummy!

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

My stadium bundt cake pan had been neglected since the Superbowl last year, and since this was ASU's "bowl" game this year, I felt that it needed to make an appearance.  I haven't been a huge fan of any of the past bundt cakes that I have made, they have all seemed pretty boring to me; good, but boring.  So I went in search of something new to try and when I came across this cake I figured chocolate and liquor...how can it be bad?  The answer is it can't!  This cake was moist, full of chocolate with the subtle hints of Kahlua. We ate it with hot chocolate that also had a touch of Kahlua, another yummy winter treat! I dusted it with powdered sugar, so it makes it a bit difficult to tell in the picture, but it is indeed in the shape of a football stadium!  I took the leftovers to my office and it was gone before lunch....so I would indeed call this a crowd pleaser and a bundt cake that I will likely make again! 

I served it on a football field platter and used goal post toothpicks that my sister gave me for a more authentic look!

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

1 (18 1/4 oz.) pkg. Devil's Food cake mix
16 oz. sour cream
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1/3 c. Kahlua
1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the powdered sugar just until mixed.  Spread into a greased bundt pan.  (Hint: tap the pan lightly on the counter to get out all the air bubbles and distribute the batter evenly.)

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for about 20 - 30 minutes and then carefully remove from bundt pan.  Let the cake continue to cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Championship Bean Dip

Three things I really love:

1. Beans (especially refried)

2. Dip (especially when it includes beans)

3. My crock pot

So what happens when I can bring all three things together for a common cause....MAGIC!  I love this dip, it is the ultimate dip in my world, and it is just so easy!  I served this when I had friends over to watch the ASU football game, and everyone was raving about it, it really is the best bean dip ever!  I found the original recipe in an old Fix It and Forget It cookbook that was my grandmas, and modified it a bit for my tastes.  It is the perfect party dip because you throw it all in the crock pot and 2 hours later you have a delicious dip!  Serve with tortilla chips, Fritos or corn chips and you have yourself a winner!  With football Bowl Games and the Superbowl just around the corner this is just the dip to cheer on your favorite team to victory!

Beans are not one of the most photogenic foods....so please no judgements on the photo!

Championship Bean Dip

2 (15 oz. each) cans refried beans (I use Rosarita Spicy Jalapeno)

2 c. picante sauce (I use Medium heat Pace)

2 c. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 c. sour cream

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Chips for serving

Combine all the ingredients, except chips, in the crock pot; stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on High for 2 hours, or until heated through, stirring once or twice during cooking.  When ready to serve, turn crock pot to warm and serve with chips!

Note: This makes a really, really big batch, feel free to cut all the ingredients in half, but I like to have leftovers to make burritos!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

So it's been awhile I know, but the fall is always a crazy time for me and now it is the holiday season and time is just flying by!  I have a backlog of things to share, so fingers crossed I will post more than once per month moving forward! 

You may ask why is fall so busy?  Well....one word....football!  I don't play football or coach football or even have a job that has anything to do with football (although I kinda wish I did), but I watch football, and I watch it a lot!  I love college football, NFL and even play in 2 Fantasy Football leagues!  I wake up in the morning to my radio alarm playing sports talk radio and listen to it while I drive around all day....during the fall, football just seems to take over!  I even manage to travel to a couple of away games every year to follow my beloved Arizona State Sun Devils (this year we went to the Wisconsin and Cal games).  Unfortunately, both of my favorite teams, ASU and the Arizona Cardinals, are not having very good seasons this year....but I am no fair weather fan...I still have to watch and give them my support!

While the NFL still has a few more weeks to go, college football is over.  Well, it is not really over, but when your team doesn't go to a bowl game, it feels like it is over (although who am I kidding, I will still probably watch most of the bowl games...I am a football junkie, remember?).  Going into our last game, the Sun Devils knew that even with a win they wouldn't get a bowl game, but it being our rivalry game against the University of Arizona Wildcats....it was basically going to be played like a bowl game....and it did not disappoint!  After a slow start, the game got to be really close, and ASU pulled out a one point victory in double overtime by blocking an extra point (which they also did to send the game into overtime to begin with)....talk about drama!  It was a crazy game, with highs and lows, and very fun to watch (being the junky that I am, I actually taped it and re watched it the next night so that I could take it all in again....do you think there are support groups for this kind of addiction?) and I was glad that I had invited some friends over to watch it because it really made it that much more fun.

So here is the first of the dishes that I made, this was a real winner, and everyone really liked it.  It is actually supposed to be formed into the shape of a ring, but since it was for a football party I shaped it like a football as much as I could...genius!  The buttery crescent rolls were so tasty with the Mexican fillings, and everyone piled on guacamole and salsa and declared it a winner!  This was a snap to throw together since I had precooked and froze the chicken a couple of weeks ago; I have one more bag of chicken in the freezer so I have a feeling this will be making a repeat appearance soon!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

Adapted from www.justapinch.com

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

1 (4 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, un drained

1/2 c. mayo

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 small tomato, chopped

1 lime

2/3 c. finely crushed tortilla chips

2 pkgs. crescent rolls

Salsa, sour cream and guacamole for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine chicken, olives, cheese, chilies, mayo and taco seasoning; stir to combine.  Seed and chop the tomato and add to the mixture.  Juice the lime and add 2 tablespoons to the chicken mixture.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of crushed chips and add remaining chips to the mixture; mix well.

Unroll crescent dough and separate triangles.  Arrange on a cooking sheet making a circle with the wide ends overlapping in the center and the points toward the outside.  There should be about a 5 to 6 inch diameter opening in the center.

Spread chicken mixture evenly onto the widest end of each triangle.  You can really heap the mixture on, and you may have a bit leftover.

Bring points of triangles up and over filling, and tuck under the wide ends of dough at center of ring.  Sprinkle with the remaining crushed chips.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the crescent rolls are golden.  Let cool for a minute, then slice along the seems to make wedges.  Serve with garnishes if desired.



S'Mores Cookies

These cookies tasted so good....that I never got a picture of them!  That's right, I made these a couple of months ago and they got eaten up before I remembered to get a picture, I debated on whether or not to post since I don't have a picture, but decided they are too good not to share, so you will have to click on this link to the original poster's blog and then you can start drooling!

I loved the idea of these, especially how you added graham cracker crumbs into the batter, it really did take these up a notch!  The next time I make them, I think I am going to leave the little piece of Hershey bar off of the top, and use jumbo marshmallows cut in half instead of a few little ones.  As much as I love chocolate, the Hershey bar mad them too chocolaty since there are already chocolate chips in the batter, it somewhat overwhelmed the flavor.  Also, the little marshmallows are a bit of a pain to try and put on the cookies halfway through the baking process, it would be much quicker to just plop one big one on top!  But other than that these are a fun cookie to make and to eat!

S'Mores Cookies

adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c. miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, broken into rectangles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt.

In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of Hershey bar into each cookies.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Jalapeno Chicken Casserole

Well, looks like the cat is out of the bag, Laura (my sister) if you are reading this, please forgive me!  Why am I asking for her forgiveness?  I may or may not have not mentioned the word jalapeno when I invited my sister over for dinner and told her what I was making!  My sister is a wimp when it comes to spicy food; for instance, she claims to LOVE buffalo wings, but then wipe all of the sauce off of each one before she eats it....so weird!!!  So when she asked what I was making, I told her Mexican Chicken Casserole, she said yum, so I said see you at 6!  I knew that if I mentioned the "J" word she would not even try it, so I had to be a little bit sneaky....but isn't that what big sisters are for???

So at 6 last Sunday night, my sister and my parents arrived for dinner; we sat down and ate, and guess what?  They all liked it!  My sister made a little mention that a few of her bites were a little spicy, but like I said before, she is a major spice wimp.  This was really good, and fresh tasting.  I liked that it didn't use a canned soup as the base, which I am not against at all, but they can sometimes make dishes feel really heavy.  I also really liked the addition of the spinach, it was a good way to get in some veggies, this almost tasted like a spicy spinach dip with chicken, which is definitely not a bad thing in my opinion!

My only suggestion when making this would be to use more chicken.  The pound of chicken called for in the recipe seemed a little sparse to me, but do what you like!  I was also thinking of maybe instead of adding more chicken, to just use a can of black beans, or even use no chicken at all and just black beans....mmm beans....well they don't call me The Bean Queen for nothing!

I am really sorry I didn't get a picture of the insides, but trust me, it was very pretty!

Jalapeno Chicken Casserole

adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen

2 Tbsp. butter

1 onion, diced

3 jalapenos fresh, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
20 oz chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Tbsp. pickled jalapenos, diced
2 Tbsp. jalapeno pickling liquid
2 c. light sour cream
4 green onions, tops only, diced
2 Tbsp. lime juice, or about 1 lime
1 large bag of tortilla chips
1 lb chicken, cooked and chopped
2-3 c. cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Saute onions, jalapenos, and garlic until soft. Sprinkle flour over jalapeno mixture and cook for several minutes until golden. Add chicken stock to pan and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring often, until simmering and slightly thickened. Season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine spinach, pickled jalapenos and liquid, sour cream, lime juice and green onions. Add chicken stock mixture to sour cream mixture and stir thoroughly until mixed.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer a handful of crushed tortilla chips, chopped chicken, and half of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add another layer of crushed tortilla chips, and the rest of the chicken and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top casserole with another layer of crushed tortilla chips and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Bake casserole for 30 to 40 or until hot and browned. Top with fresh pico de gallo, if desired.

I served mine with a big pot of pinto beans.....mmm mmm good!

Strawberry Volcanoes

The month of August has been really busy for me, between going out of town for 9 days, being swamped at work and many other things, I just haven't had a chance to sit down and post on my blog.  The fall is always a really busy time of year for me as well, with football season, a couple of trips (football related of course) and all the holidays; but it is also a good opportunity to do some cooking for the aforementioned football season and holidays, so I hope to bring you all some more foodie fun soon!

These were the last item that I made for my sister's housewarming party back in July (and I still need to post about her birthday dinner in June....yikes!), and I have saved the best for last.  My sister loves chocolate covered strawberries, so once I stumbled across this picture and description somewhere in my Internet travels, I knew they would be perfect for her party!  They do take a bit more work than just a dipped strawberry, but they are so cute and delicious that it is worth it! 

Strawberry Volcanoes

1 lb. strawberries, cleaned, with tops cut off to make flat

1 c. chocolate chips, melted

Whipped cream, in a can or homemade

After slicing the tops off of the strawberries, make a cross cut across the tips of each strawberry.  Drain the strawberries on paper towels.  Carefully dip flat bottoms of strawberries in melted chocolate; place on wax paper and cool. Carefully pipe whipped cream into the split opening on the top of each strawberry.  Chill until serving and enjoy!

Proscuitto, Marscapone & Fig Bruschetta

This bruschetta is so easy, it is embarrassing, but it looks so classy and people gobble it up, so it is a good recipe to have in your repertoire!  My friend Heather first introduced me to this combination, and she first had it at a local wine bar called Postino here in Phoenix.  The combination of the creamy cheese, salty prosciutto and the sweetness of the figs is the most awesome combination ever!  It may seem weird to some, but give it a try, you will have your guests thinking you are quite the gourmet!

Prosciutto, Marscapone & Fig Bruschetta

by Jenn

1 French baguette, sliced on the diagonal about 3/4" thick

1/2 lb. Prosciutto, thinly sliced

1 tub Marscapone cheese (Usually found by the gourmet cheeses at the store)

Dried Figs, sliced  (These are on the dried fruit aisle, near the raisins)

Cooking spray

Turn oven on to broil.

Place bread slices on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray or olive oil.  Broil for about 3 - 4 minutes just until the tops start to brown.  Remove from oven.

Spread a layer of Marscapone on the toasted side, top with slices of Prosciutto and a couple of slices of figs. That is all, you are ready to go, and these hold nicely at room temperature!

Enjoy!

Caprese Skewers

A couple of weeks ago my sister moved into a new condo that she recently purchased.  She was so excited for her new place that she just had to have a housewarming party ASAP, never mind that she didn't even have bedding or things to put on the walls when she decided this.  But nonetheless, she planned it for a weekend after we got back from vacation, and asked me to help out with the food.  She had some very specific requests of things for me to make, but luckily they were all pretty easy to pull together.  Although the whole weekend was a mad rush with us spending all day Saturday running around to different stores to finish decorating the place and then going to buy and make all the food by 4:00 pm on Sunday, but we got it done with just minutes to spare!  I have to say, her place looks really good, and she was able to pull it together really quickly.  It took me months to figure out my place, although I was behind to start with because all I owned was a bed, TV and a retro baby blue recliner!  Oh the days of simplicity!

Here is a picture of the spread that we put out for the guests, and over the next couple of posts I will share with you what I made, starting with Caprese Skewers!

The guests loved all the food, and I just had to call my sister out when she was showing off all the food that SHE (code for me, Jenn, her sister) made!  But hey, that's what sisters are for :)  It is almost embarrassing to share this as a recipe, because it is really more of an idea, but it makes for such a great item to take to a party or a picnic because it can be made ahead of time and doesn't require a fork!  I first made these for one of my football tailgates and everyone went wild over them, so I knew I had me a keeper!

Caprese Skewers

by Jenn

Cherry Tomatoes (I bought a box at Costco and had about half leftover)

Fresh mozzarella (Once again, I bought this at Costco, it comes in a pack of 2, but I just used one log)

Prepared Pesto (I used Classico Brand, found on the pasta aisle, but use fresh or make your own!)

Toothpicks

Dice mozzarella into cubes, about 3/4" by 3/4".  Put cheese and tomatoes in a large bowl, spoon a couple of tablespoons of pesto into the bowl; stir to combine and coat the cheese and tomatoes.  Add more pesto until you get the desired amount of coating. 

Skewer the tomatoes and cheese onto toothpicks.  I usually do cheese, tomato, cheese; but do whatever combination you like!  Put skewers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and let sit at least an hour to let the pesto marinate into the cheese.  Enjoy!

Nifna's Green Salsa

I actually made this about two months ago, which will probably come as no shock since I haven't been posting regularly, but it is such a nice change of pace from regular salsa that I couldn't just not post it.  Apparently Nifna's is a well known Mexican restaurant in the Houston area and this dip is served to everyone with the complimentary chips.  (Side note: I recently read that we are getting a Nifna's here in the Phoenix area, so I will have to check it out and compare once it opens!)  I was not only intrigued by the ingredient list, but also by the preparation because the tomato component is actually cooked first.  This was really good, it had a hit of heat, but the sour cream and avocado in it helped to temper the fire.  Also, this made a ton!  So unless you are going to a party or have a huge family, you may want to cut the recipe in half...or maybe not....cause it probably won't last long!  I took this in to my office and my co-workers went wild over it!  I have a pretty small office and had two requests for the recipe...which can only mean one thing...it's a keeper!

Nifna's Green Salsa

adapted from Home with Mandy

3 medium-sized green tomatoes, coarsely chopped (you can substitute yellow if you can’t find green ones, and you are not supposed to use red, but that is all I could find and it still worked!)
4 tomatillos, cleaned and chopped

1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed and coarsely chopped

3 small garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium-sized ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
4 sprigs cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream

Combine chopped tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapenos and garlic in a saucepan and heat on medium high  Add garlic.  At this point, using a potato masher, start to smash the tomatoes to bring out the juices.  Let the mixture cook, mashing more and stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes remove from heat and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile, put avocado, cilantro and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times until combined.  Add cooled tomato mixture to food processor and pulse until smooth.  Remove mixture to a different bowl and stir in sour cream.  (I chilled mine for a bit after this because it was still warm from the tomatoes.)  Dig in with some tortilla chips....mmmm!


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Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

A few weeks ago I hit an awesome sale on strawberries, just 99 cents for a package, so I picked them up thinking I would snack on them.  Well, I am a bad girl and put them in the fridge and forgot about them, until one Sunday night when trying to figure out dinner I found them and realized that they needed to be eaten, and quick!  Was I going to eat a whole container by myself that night, probably not, but I remembered seeing a recipe for these Strawberry Shortcake Cookies and figured at least they would be going towards a good cause! 

This is a Martha Stewart recipe, and she did not disappoint!  They tasted just like a strawberry shortcake minus the whipped cream, they were heavenly!  I did have a bit of a problem getting the strawberries incorporated into the dough, but I think it was my fault for bringing the dough together too much before adding the strawberries, so I had to mash pieces into the balls of dough.  I almost decided to throw the towel in because I didn't think they were going to turn out, but after tasting them, I would have been very mad at myself for missing out!  These really are best warm out of the oven and really should be eaten within a day or two of baking, but honestly, they are so good, you'll be lucky to have any left by day two!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

adapted from Martha Stewart

12 oz. strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1-2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 c. heavy cream
coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter to the flour mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. You can also use your fingers. Stir in the heavy cream until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in strawberries.

Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheets, evenly spaced apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

Oh my goodness, it has been way too long since I have been able to post anything food related here, but my computer is working again (for the most part) and I am ready to get back to making a more regular appearance on here!

According to my camera, I actually made these back on April 12, so it seems that I am about 2 months behind in all my posting, which is a shame, because I have made some yummy stuff during that time!  These tostadas are actually a spin on a recipe that was getting posted all over the various blogs that I read, they were intended to be eaten as a sandwich, but being such a Mexican food lover, I have a hard time putting the concept of Mexican food and sandwiches together, plus I wanted something crunchy, so thus I served it tostada style!  But feel free to serve on a nice crusty roll if it is a sandwich that you crave!

This is actually a Rachael Ray recipe, and it actually took less than 30 minutes!  The basis is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, so that really eliminates a lot of time, but there is some prep involved with getting all of the chicken off of the bone.  (Quick Tip: It is much easier to pull the chicken off the bone and shred it while it is still warm, so if I go to the grocery store early in the day, I always de-bone and shred the chicken when I get home and then just refrigerate until I am ready to start cooking.)  This smelled delicious while cooking, and the end result confirmed it, the chicken mixture was creamy with a touch of heat.  For the shells, I just took corn tortillas and fried them in a little bit of oil until crispy, but you could always use pre-made shells or bake them until crispy for a lighter version.

Since it was just me eating this, I was able to package up two more portions for the freezer, which will be just perfect when I need a Mexican fix after a long day at work!

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray - September 2009

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 c. store-bought salsa verde
1/2 c. sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 tostada shells
4 slices Monterrey jack cheese (I just used shredded)

1. Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Stir in the chicken to coat.

2. Pile the chicken mixture on the tostada shells. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Serve with extra sour cream and salsa if desired....and of course....a side of beans!

Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce

I had given up my subscription to Cooking Light about two years ago because all the recipes got really complicated with huge ingredient lists and I just didn't want to bother with them.  But a few months ago I happened to flip through an issue at a friend's house and I really liked the new layout and the paired down recipes; so when I got an e-mail saying that I could get a 2 Year Subscription for just $15...I jumped at it!  I found this recipe in the first issue that I got and had to make it right away!  This was listed as one of the quick cooking options, and guess what?  It was actually quick!  I had everything done in less than 30 minutes!  Now, I did take a liberty with the rice and instead of cooking jasmine rice with saffron I used a pouch of Mahamata Yellow Rice that I already had in my pantry, but other than that I followed it to a T. 

The house smelled delicious while the Kofta were cooking, and when topped with the creamy yogurt sauce, this dish was just plain delicious!  I had invited my friend Whitney over for dinner the night that I made this and she too really enjoyed it, which was evidenced by her clean plate!  This is definitely a dish that I would make again....especially since it seems sort of fancy for a weeknight dish!

Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce

adapted from Cooking Light April 2010

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (I used frozen that I find at Trader Joe's, it rocks!)

2 Tbsp. grated fresh onion
2 Tbsp. 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. lean ground lamb
Cooking spray

1/2 c. 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
1/4 c. chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

1 pkg. Mahamata Yellow Rice
Green onions, sliced, for garnish, optional

Prepare rice as directed on the package.  (I used the microwave method.) Sprinkle with green onions.

While rice cooks, prepare kofta. Combine cilantro and next 9 ingredients (through lamb); shape into 12 oblong patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 10 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

While kofta cooks, prepare sauce. Combine 1/2 cup yogurt and remaining ingredients. Serve sauce with kofta and rice.

Meatballs in Peanut Chile Sauce

Wow, I am really behind on my blogging, but I am going to try hard to catch up!  I made these delicious meatballs a couple of Sundays ago (well, at this point it was probably like four Sundays ago, yikes!) when I was hanging around the house.  I happened to have all the ingredients on hand due to a sale at Fry's plus a coupon where I got a one pound bag of meatballs for just $1.00!  This was really simple to throw together, and it only takes about 3 to 4 hours to cook, perfect if you get a late start like I did that day!  This had all the flavors of a yummy Thai dish, and it was even better served over some basmati rice!  I think these would also be a fun appetizer to bring to a party and eat with toothpicks, since they aren't your standard meatball swimming in barbecue sauce!

Meatballs in Peanut Chile Sauce

adapted from A Year of Crockpotting

1 (1 lb.) bag frozen meatballs

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 cup canned coconunt milk (I used light)
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

Put meatballs into slow cooker (frozen is fine). Add peanut butter and coconut milk. Drop in a gollop of red chile paste, then add fish sauce and sugar. Stir as well as you can to combine.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, high for 2-4, or until peanut butter mixture is fully melted and the meatballs are heated throughout.

Serve as a hot appetizer, or over long grained basmati rice as a meal.